Our 10 Best Red Hook Restaurants

May 21, 2010

Red Hook — along with the Rockaways — is perhaps the city neighborhood most defined by its proximity to the water. It’s been a working port for hundreds of years, its docks curving out into the southern part of the East River. On cobblestoned streets, new wine shops and cafes rub shoulders with ancient pizza parlors and focaccerias, while the Statue of Liberty casts a severe eye over the proceedings.

While we realize that many people feel that Red Hook ends at Hamilton Avenue, for our purposes, we’re defining the neighborhood by its older boundaries: the entire point, bounded by the water to the west, the BQE to the east, and Degraw Street to the north. That includes what is now sometimes called the Columbia Waterfront District.

In putting together this list, we considered all kinds of eateries, not just traditional restaurants. Forge ahead to find out which spots we picked.

The Swedish meatball plate at Ikea: Ultra-cheap and tasty.Robert Sietsema